The Ark The Novel By Boyd Morrison The Report By Ashley Thomas
Introduction This novel The Ark appealed to me because of the way it blended the past and the future together into an eloquently written piece of literature. From the intense action scenes and the historical aspects brought up in this book to the advanced technology and thinking used throughout, this book was captivating and intriguing from start to finish. This is one book that not only brings the reader on a remarkable adventure of making monumental discoveries, finding adrenaline and death at every corner, and trying to impede the impending end of the world, but it makes the reader think beyond the normal limits of every day thought. Also, this novel truly undermines and puts into question some key beliefs of what some people have always believed and thought to be true. The Ark is one literary work that will surely be delved into and eaten up by readers for generations to come. Genre One genre that shows itself prominently throughout this novel is the genre of mystery. From a dear, beloved friend dropping dead after delivering life-changing information, to a pilot’s last words exclaiming that his crew and himself were “melting” and the later discovery of clean, white bones found as the only human remains on his failed flight, this literary work is filled with inquiries, unsolved mysteries, and foreshadowing. As the characters in this book are filled with fear and uncertainty and with adrenaline flowing through their systems again and again, the reader may also find him or herself with a pounding heart and heavy breath. Along with the mystery genre of this book there can be found both action and romance that appear often and prominently. Despite or rather because of the great “unknown” characteristic of The Ark, there is action at every corner. Romance is found burgeoning between two of the most fundamental characters: Tyler Locke, the engineer, and Dilara Kenner, the archaeologist. As these two protagonists travel around the world trying to stay alive long enough so they can save mankind, they end up building a relationship greater than just friendship. Even though this novel so clearly contains the genres of mystery, action, and romance, this literary work also contains much historical information and disputations about history and the past. Also, there are many highly advanced technological and scientific devices, weapons, and equipment used by many of the characters throughout this novel. Boyd Morrison, the author, portrayed numerous genres and ideas throughout his debut book; however, despite the numerous types, the most fundamental genres of this book are mystery and action. Without these two genres the plot would be entirely sunk and meaningless; this novel is a such a page-turner because of the intrigue and intense action scenes that keep the audience of the book wanting more. Mystery and action can be said to be the main genres of The Ark. Synopsis Dilara Kenner, an archaeologist, meeting with and then watching an old family friend, Sam Watson, die in front of her eyes is the event that starts out the literary work The Ark. Shocked and confused, Dr. Kenner realizes that as attempts are starting to be made on her own life she must heed her murdered friend’s dying words: she must find Tyler Locke and discover other truths that could ultimately help stop billions of people from dying. Trying to convince Tyler Locke, a young retired officer from the armed services and a highly esteemed engineer, to help Dilara discover information about Noah’s Ark and her own missing father was easier than she could imagine. When an oilrig off the coast of Newfoundland is almost obliterated by highly skilled terrorists and many people along with it, Tyler realizes that this woman stranger has made claims that could be all too real. Teaming together, Dilara and Tyler, along with other outside help including the company Tyler works for, Gordian Engineering, start to discover, piece by piece, an elaborate plot established to kill almost the entirety of the human population. Only a select group of less than four hundred people are chosen by the creator of the plot, Sebastian Ulric, to survive and be a part of the new world. More difficult than either could hope for, this couple, Tyler and Dilara, find themselves forming a close relationship as they uncover an insidious plot; search for Dilara’s missing father and his obsession, the Noah’s Ark as mentioned in the Bible; escape attempts on their lives all too frequently; and travel the world trying to save billions of lives while hoping to make the “greatest archeological discovery” of all time. Mankind comes closer to its demise as Sebastian Ulric, the head of the Church of Holy Waters and evil mastermind of the whole world-changin, devastating plot, comes closer to his ultimate goal. Time is running out as Dilara Kenner and Tyler Locke rush to discover the many truths behind the disastrous killer plot, Dilara’s father, and Noah’s Ark; they will discover how closely those truths truly are intertwined. Protagonist, Antagonist, and Another Main Character Tyler Locke
Tyler Locke, the main protagonist in The Ark, worked for Gordian Engineering and when Dilara looked up what information she could about him online she was impressed: “His title was chief of special operations, and his experience was exceptional. Majored in mechanical engineering at MIT. PhD from Stanford. Former captain in the U.S. Army commanding a combat engineering company. Expert in demolition, bomb disposal, mechanical systems, accident reconstruction, and prototype testing.” (Page 36) Numerous times this man proved his credentials, but the first time his hero-like nature was shown in this novel was after the helicopter Dilara was riding in on her way to meet with Tyler crashed into the water. As described in the written text, Tyler was impressive when rescuing the drowning helicopter pilot after Dilara had done all she could to keep the pilot afloat while encouraging Logan, another man, to stay alive and afloat before the rescue party had arrived: “The hatch flew open, and a tall man with tousled brown hair looked around for a moment before diving into the water right about where she’d last seen Logan.” Once resurfacing after “what seemed like hours… He handed Logan to a massive black man standing in the hatch who hauled Logan up like he was a doll.” (Page 38) Not only did this show courage but great strength, making Tyler an impressive character right from the very beginning.
This main character Tyler Locke truly was a hero of a man in both physical characteristics and his mentality of wanting and then actually helping people just for the sake of helping. Tyler is the cliché “good guy” in this story, and he definitely knows how to handle himself and others in tough situations. With Dilara’s help Tyler definitely is a prime candidate to overthrow Sebastian Ulric’s insidious plans, find Dilara’s father, and discover Noah’s Ark. Sebastian Ulric The antagonist in this literary work, Sebastian Ulric, had many things going both for and against him. He was the president and leader of the Church of the Holy Waters, and as he began formulating his plan “to cleanse the earth” Ulric was looking for ideal candidates of who should survive the “cleansing”: “Ulric had scoured the universities for the best and brightest scientists, engineers, and thinkers.” (Page 145) He then did all in his power to recruit these “best and brightest” and fully convert them to his cause or his “church”. To sum up Ulric’s ideas but to leave his ultimate, detailed plot a mystery to any but those who peruse the pages of this book, this is where the account of his plot will end, with this account: “How ironic, he thought, that finding Noah’s Ark had made his own vision possible… He would be the Noah of a new era. The father of all that would come into the New World.” (Page 193) Despite Ulric’s seemingly limited point of view, he truly was a genius himself and knew what was needed to accomplish his high-reaching goals. Many, including both Tyler Locke and Dilara Kenner, could not believe what Ulric wanted to accomplish with its selfish, sinister nature; however, even though Sebastian Ulric wanted to kill billions of people, Morrison gave him at least one redeeming quality: the belief of what he was doing was right. Ulric believed that God sanctified what he was doing: “It was a heavy burden, but he knew that God saw something in him that generations would come to venerate.” (Page 193) Ulric believed God was on his side, so Ulric was truly convinced entirely that what he was doing was for the better good; nothing would stop himself from accomplishing his ultimate goal.
Dilara Kenner
Another protagonist is what Dilara Kenner, the main character that was the woman archeologist, could be called if any critic, professional or not, would allow “protagonist” to describe multiple people in a story. If any less important than Tyler Locke in The Ark it would only be because the antagonist, Sebastian Ulric, already counted Tyler as a great foe before Ulric had even a single opposing thought about Dilara. However, it may be argued that Dilara was more fundamental to the plot because of the role her father plays; nevertheless, either way Dilara was made the woman lead in this story by Boyd Morrison long before the words on this page were written. Dilara Kenner, when first following her friend’s, Sam Watson’s, words, contacted Tyler Locke and said she needed to meet with him because of “a matter of life and death”. She was a candid person and knew that certain things had to be done in order to accomplish a greater task. When Tyler Locke checked Dilara’s credentials for proof that she wasn’t “yanking his chain”, Tyler was convinced she was the real deal: “Her photo gave Tyler the impression of intelligence and competence.” Her picture was “of a beautiful ebony-haired woman in her midthirties. She had high cheekbones, striking brown eyes, and an easy smile.” Tyler said: “He had to admit her looks added to the intrigue.” (Page 18) Where Dilara knew of only Tyler’s supposed abilities and accomplishments and discovered what his looks and personality were more like later, Tyler faced the opposite situation of what he knew about Dilara and what he figured out later on. Dr. Kenner, as Dilara was called somewhat often, was a courageous woman who was definitely an asset to the team Tyler and her put together to accomplish great things although she had more innocence and less blood on her hands than Tyler had: “He (Tyler) looked up to see who his savior was and saw Dilara looking down in a mixture of shock and relief.” (Page 134) Then stated by then about Dilara: “ ‘I didn’t mean to kill him… I was aiming for his ear, just to knock him off you, but he turned his head and…’ Her voice trailed off as she stared at the man, whose other eye stared back at her. She obviously had never killed someone before.” (Page 135) Dilara was strong in the face of danger though she only wished to do what was necessary and nothing more. Themes, Morals, and “Big Ideas” To uncover recurring themes and large ideas or morals in this book a reader must look past all the distracting information that makes up the unnecessary visual in this story including the character’s appearances and the setting found throughout. Of course at times the visual may be included in a “big idea” or have to do with a theme, but with one large theme found in this novel is whether any man truly has the right to decide the fate of so many lives, even with the “consent” of God. Sebastian Ulric decided that it was his time to help the world and kill billions of people in order to cleanse the earth once again. This is put into question and can be said to be a large theme in this book because everyone who knows of the plot and has not already been chosen to live and not be killed by Ulric, and even Dilara when Ulric gives her the option of surviving and not dying with the rest of the billions, desperately tries to stop Ulric and his plot that he believes is for the best. Whether many people were just selfish and did not want to perish or whether they truly believed that Ulric just did not have the right to have so much control, every person who was not included in Ulric’s plans wanted to take away his power and to stop him. From the theme of whether or not any man, even “designated” by God, should have so much power over mankind and the earth, a moral is brought into perspective. The moral that can be learned from this literary work is that no one person or even group of people on earth can decide the fate of something much bigger then him, her, or them. People should be responsible for themselves but one man cannot decide the fate of billions even if it is said to be for the greater good. Other themes or ideas may be found intertwined into the plot and characters of The Ark. Morrison did a fine job whether he realized it or not in portraying morals or ideas throughout his story. One more such example is the burgeoning relationship between Tyler Locke and Dilara Kenner; it can be seen that tough situations can bring people closer together and strengthen relationships as well as it can destroy relationships as seen through other characters not as important to the story as a whole. Cutter, a bloodthirsty man who worked for Ulric, had utterly despised Grant, a best friend of Tyler’s, when he had served in the armed forces with Grant earlier in life. At certain points in this story, Cutter’s and Grant’s great disdain for each other may be witnessed. From the responsibilities that men have the right to hold to the impact of what difficult, challenging situations can do to relationships between people, many themes, morals, and “big ideas” may be found in The Ark. Major Conflict Conflict, contention, and strife can all be found throughout Morrison’s debut novel; however, there is one major conflict that can be broken into two major points of contention. Mainly between the protagonist Tyler Locke and the antagonist Sebastian Ulric is the conflict of life and death. Ulric wishes to kill billions to cleanse the earth and start afresh as during Noah’s time; however, Tyler more than probably any of mankind does his best to stop Ulric from accomplishing his unfair goal. This conflict is whether Ulric kills billions or is stopped, a cliché impending doom of the world conflict. Arguably between Dilara Kenner and her dad against Sebastian Ulric is the conflict of the ownership of some of the items from the original Noah’s Ark and who is the official “finder” of one of the greatest archeological discoveries of all time. Dilara Kenner, in fact, is the first to step inside “the Ark” and Ulric only gets the same opportunity because of her and Tyler Locke. To prevent further spoilers of the plot and ending all that will be said in of the contention and fighting that comes about from the discovery of the original Noah’s Ark. To go into greater detail of the conflict of whether Ulric succeeds or fails, the paths and travels of Tyler and Dilara can be delved into and pondered over. The pair researches and goes through very difficult challenges because of their research and inquiry. Many close calls to death are found when following Tyler’s and Dilara’s path. The conflict could even be said to be Tyler and Dilara staying alive even before Ulric sets in motion the “devices” that are meant to kill so many others. However, whatever the conflict there is, as long as there is in fact some kind of conflict, The Ark and practically every other literary work known to man will continue on. With conflict there is continuation even if it is not with rapport. For even if there is not peace or harmony at first later on, with resolved conflict and contention, peace and rapport may be found and the literary works come to a close. Symbolic Image
The Symbol of Question and Change
This new, original symbol fits the overall aspect of this book, the aspect of mystery and change. The triangle, a delta symbol that can mean change, represents the idea of change in multiple aspects and parts of The Ark. From the change of character seen in both Tyler Locke and Dilara Keller to the change in setting from the United States to Newfoundland to Van, Turkey, and elsewhere, change can literally be seen constantly throughout in some way. For what is life made up of? Change. Also, regarding the mathematic use of the delta symbol, it may be applied to the technological advancements, discoveries, and changes seen in this book. Noah’s Ark was said to have certain dimensions as mentioned in the Bible, does “the Ark” in this book have the same dimensions? Questioning, inquiry, and intrigue are represented by the many question marks located on the delta triangle symbol itself. The main or two main question marks found in the center of the triangle represent the largest questions that are continually present throughout the book. Interpretation of what these questions may be can, of course, be changed and be different. A couple possible questions one may assume go as follows: “Does Noah’s Ark truly exist and if so where and how?” And then another question less obvious and more indiscreet: “If there is such tremendous power on the earth itself to cause so much destruction then what is its purpose? How and why?” The symbol of Question and Change. New, Unusual Terms Discovered in the Text 1.) Helmsman: (n.) the person who controls or steers a boat or ship. “The only seat facing forward was for the helmsman, and that wouldn’t be occupied until after the drop was complete.” (Page 30) 2.) Barista: (n.) the person provides service in a coffee bar. “ ‘Our barista is out right now, but we’ll get some nice hot java in you soon,’ the man said.” (Page 39) 3.) Unassuming: (adj.) modest and humble; unpretending with nothing to hide. “The unassuming buildings looked like airplane hangars, but the only aircraft on the property were three helicopters lined up on landing pads outside the hotel.” (Page 87) 4.) Prion: (n.) a protein that may cause certain (neurodegenerative) diseases. “ ‘We have to stop them,’ Dilara said. ‘They’re planning to release some kind of prion in New York, LA, and London. They’re shipping the stuff out tonight.’ “ (Page 307) 5.) Amulet: (n.) an item such as a small piece of jewelry or an ornament that is thought to contain certain magical powers depending on the item (amulet) itself. “ ‘The amulet was of tremendous significance,’ Dilara said. ‘It wouldn’t be tossed on the floor.’ “ (Page 383)
Comparing With Other Existing Works Somewhat remarkably, despite The Ark being only one literary piece of work, both the action sequences from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the action and technology from multiple Sci-Fi books and movies can seem reminiscent to this particular work of Boyd Morrison. From the intense and frequent action scenes witnessed in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies with the adrenaline rushes and close calls resulting in some deaths of lesser and some even more major characters, it practically speaks of what the essence of The Ark action scenes include. Even though the time, setting, and most weapons are not the same, action and fighting in its pure, raw form as seen in some television and in some books almost always have the same emotions and feelings. Even if some of the reasons for the fighting are different, fighting is fighting, conflict is conflict, and shed blood is shed blood, regardless of the situation. Science Fiction books and movies portray many more advanced technologies and ideas. In The Ark, many more advanced technologies and equipment are seen, developed, and used. Ulric’s use of the “prion”, a lethal weapon when used for acts of terrorism, is the use of something that has not been discovered or “controlled” in our modern world as of today. That is one of bone-chilling items of warfare that hopefully will never be discovered and used. The “prion” is just one example of something that is more advanced in nature and idea that can be tied to many weapons and ideas portrayed in Sci-Fi books and movies alike. Even though there are numerous other existing works that can be compared with The Ark, the pure action scenes of The Pirates of the Caribbean and the action and technological advancements of many Science Fiction works certainly may be thought of when a reader delves into the action and plot of this story written by Boyd Morrison. Goodreads Review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/430283935 And a special “thanks” that goes to anyone for reading this page about The Ark!
The Novel By Boyd Morrison
The Report By Ashley Thomas
Introduction
This novel The Ark appealed to me because of the way it blended the past and the future together into an eloquently written piece of literature. From the intense action scenes and the historical aspects brought up in this book to the advanced technology and thinking used throughout, this book was captivating and intriguing from start to finish. This is one book that not only brings the reader on a remarkable adventure of making monumental discoveries, finding adrenaline and death at every corner, and trying to impede the impending end of the world, but it makes the reader think beyond the normal limits of every day thought. Also, this novel truly undermines and puts into question some key beliefs of what some people have always believed and thought to be true. The Ark is one literary work that will surely be delved into and eaten up by readers for generations to come.
Genre
One genre that shows itself prominently throughout this novel is the genre of mystery. From a dear, beloved friend dropping dead after delivering life-changing information, to a pilot’s last words exclaiming that his crew and himself were “melting” and the later discovery of clean, white bones found as the only human remains on his failed flight, this literary work is filled with inquiries, unsolved mysteries, and foreshadowing.
As the characters in this book are filled with fear and uncertainty and with adrenaline flowing through their systems again and again, the reader may also find him or herself with a pounding heart and heavy breath. Along with the mystery genre of this book there can be found both action and romance that appear often and prominently. Despite or rather because of the great “unknown” characteristic of The Ark, there is action at every corner. Romance is found burgeoning between two of the most fundamental characters: Tyler Locke, the engineer, and Dilara Kenner, the archaeologist. As these two protagonists travel around the world trying to stay alive long enough so they can save mankind, they end up building a relationship greater than just friendship.
Even though this novel so clearly contains the genres of mystery, action, and romance, this literary work also contains much historical information and disputations about history and the past. Also, there are many highly advanced technological and scientific devices, weapons, and equipment used by many of the characters throughout this novel.
Boyd Morrison, the author, portrayed numerous genres and ideas throughout his debut book; however, despite the numerous types, the most fundamental genres of this book are mystery and action. Without these two genres the plot would be entirely sunk and meaningless; this novel is a such a page-turner because of the intrigue and intense action scenes that keep the audience of the book wanting more. Mystery and action can be said to be the main genres of The Ark.
Synopsis
Dilara Kenner, an archaeologist, meeting with and then watching an old family friend, Sam Watson, die in front of her eyes is the event that starts out the literary work The Ark. Shocked and confused, Dr. Kenner realizes that as attempts are starting to be made on her own life she must heed her murdered friend’s dying words: she must find Tyler Locke and discover other truths that could ultimately help stop billions of people from dying.
Trying to convince Tyler Locke, a young retired officer from the armed services and a highly esteemed engineer, to help Dilara discover information about Noah’s Ark and her own missing father was easier than she could imagine. When an oilrig off the coast of Newfoundland is almost obliterated by highly skilled terrorists and many people along with it, Tyler realizes that this woman stranger has made claims that could be all too real.
Teaming together, Dilara and Tyler, along with other outside help including the company Tyler works for, Gordian Engineering, start to discover, piece by piece, an elaborate plot established to kill almost the entirety of the human population. Only a select group of less than four hundred people are chosen by the creator of the plot, Sebastian Ulric, to survive and be a part of the new world. More difficult than either could hope for, this couple, Tyler and Dilara, find themselves forming a close relationship as they uncover an insidious plot; search for Dilara’s missing father and his obsession, the Noah’s Ark as mentioned in the Bible; escape attempts on their lives all too frequently; and travel the world trying to save billions of lives while hoping to make the “greatest archeological discovery” of all time.
Mankind comes closer to its demise as Sebastian Ulric, the head of the Church of Holy Waters and evil mastermind of the whole world-changin, devastating plot, comes closer to his ultimate goal. Time is running out as Dilara Kenner and Tyler Locke rush to discover the many truths behind the disastrous killer plot, Dilara’s father, and Noah’s Ark; they will discover how closely those truths truly are intertwined.
Protagonist, Antagonist, and Another Main Character
Tyler Locke
Tyler Locke, the main protagonist in The Ark, worked for Gordian Engineering and when Dilara looked up what information she could about him online she was impressed: “His title was chief of special operations, and his experience was exceptional. Majored in mechanical engineering at MIT. PhD from Stanford. Former captain in the U.S. Army commanding a combat engineering company. Expert in demolition, bomb disposal, mechanical systems, accident reconstruction, and prototype testing.” (Page 36) Numerous times this man proved his credentials, but the first time his hero-like nature was shown in this novel was after the helicopter Dilara was riding in on her way to meet with Tyler crashed into the water. As described in the written text, Tyler was impressive when rescuing the drowning helicopter pilot after Dilara had done all she could to keep the pilot afloat while encouraging Logan, another man, to stay alive and afloat before the rescue party had arrived: “The hatch flew open, and a tall man with tousled brown hair looked around for a moment before diving into the water right about where she’d last seen Logan.” Once resurfacing after “what seemed like hours… He handed Logan to a massive black man standing in the hatch who hauled Logan up like he was a doll.” (Page 38) Not only did this show courage but great strength, making Tyler an impressive character right from the very beginning.
This main character Tyler Locke truly was a hero of a man in both physical characteristics and his mentality of wanting and then actually helping people just for the sake of helping. Tyler is the cliché “good guy” in this story, and he definitely knows how to handle himself and others in tough situations. With Dilara’s help Tyler definitely is a prime candidate to overthrow Sebastian Ulric’s insidious plans, find Dilara’s father, and discover Noah’s Ark.
Sebastian Ulric
The antagonist in this literary work, Sebastian Ulric, had many things going both for and against him. He was the president and leader of the Church of the Holy Waters, and as he began formulating his plan “to cleanse the earth” Ulric was looking for ideal candidates of who should survive the “cleansing”: “Ulric had scoured the universities for the best and brightest scientists, engineers, and thinkers.” (Page 145) He then did all in his power to recruit these “best and brightest” and fully convert them to his cause or his “church”. To sum up Ulric’s ideas but to leave his ultimate, detailed plot a mystery to any but those who peruse the pages of this book, this is where the account of his plot will end, with this account: “How ironic, he thought, that finding Noah’s Ark had made his own vision possible… He would be the Noah of a new era. The father of all that would come into the New World.” (Page 193) Despite Ulric’s seemingly limited point of view, he truly was a genius himself and knew what was needed to accomplish his high-reaching goals.
Many, including both Tyler Locke and Dilara Kenner, could not believe what Ulric wanted to accomplish with its selfish, sinister nature; however, even though Sebastian Ulric wanted to kill billions of people, Morrison gave him at least one redeeming quality: the belief of what he was doing was right. Ulric believed that God sanctified what he was doing: “It was a heavy burden, but he knew that God saw something in him that generations would come to venerate.” (Page 193) Ulric believed God was on his side, so Ulric was truly convinced entirely that what he was doing was for the better good; nothing would stop himself from accomplishing his ultimate goal.
Dilara Kenner
Another protagonist is what Dilara Kenner, the main character that was the woman archeologist, could be called if any critic, professional or not, would allow “protagonist” to describe multiple people in a story. If any less important than Tyler Locke in The Ark it would only be because the antagonist, Sebastian Ulric, already counted Tyler as a great foe before Ulric had even a single opposing thought about Dilara. However, it may be argued that Dilara was more fundamental to the plot because of the role her father plays; nevertheless, either way Dilara was made the woman lead in this story by Boyd Morrison long before the words on this page were written.
Dilara Kenner, when first following her friend’s, Sam Watson’s, words, contacted Tyler Locke and said she needed to meet with him because of “a matter of life and death”. She was a candid person and knew that certain things had to be done in order to accomplish a greater task. When Tyler Locke checked Dilara’s credentials for proof that she wasn’t “yanking his chain”, Tyler was convinced she was the real deal: “Her photo gave Tyler the impression of intelligence and competence.” Her picture was “of a beautiful ebony-haired woman in her midthirties. She had high cheekbones, striking brown eyes, and an easy smile.” Tyler said: “He had to admit her looks added to the intrigue.” (Page 18) Where Dilara knew of only Tyler’s supposed abilities and accomplishments and discovered what his looks and personality were more like later, Tyler faced the opposite situation of what he knew about Dilara and what he figured out later on.
Dr. Kenner, as Dilara was called somewhat often, was a courageous woman who was definitely an asset to the team Tyler and her put together to accomplish great things although she had more innocence and less blood on her hands than Tyler had: “He (Tyler) looked up to see who his savior was and saw Dilara looking down in a mixture of shock and relief.” (Page 134) Then stated by then about Dilara: “ ‘I didn’t mean to kill him… I was aiming for his ear, just to knock him off you, but he turned his head and…’ Her voice trailed off as she stared at the man, whose other eye stared back at her. She obviously had never killed someone before.” (Page 135) Dilara was strong in the face of danger though she only wished to do what was necessary and nothing more.
Themes, Morals, and “Big Ideas”
To uncover recurring themes and large ideas or morals in this book a reader must look past all the distracting information that makes up the unnecessary visual in this story including the character’s appearances and the setting found throughout. Of course at times the visual may be included in a “big idea” or have to do with a theme, but with one large theme found in this novel is whether any man truly has the right to decide the fate of so many lives, even with the “consent” of God. Sebastian Ulric decided that it was his time to help the world and kill billions of people in order to cleanse the earth once again. This is put into question and can be said to be a large theme in this book because everyone who knows of the plot and has not already been chosen to live and not be killed by Ulric, and even Dilara when Ulric gives her the option of surviving and not dying with the rest of the billions, desperately tries to stop Ulric and his plot that he believes is for the best. Whether many people were just selfish and did not want to perish or whether they truly believed that Ulric just did not have the right to have so much control, every person who was not included in Ulric’s plans wanted to take away his power and to stop him.
From the theme of whether or not any man, even “designated” by God, should have so much power over mankind and the earth, a moral is brought into perspective. The moral that can be learned from this literary work is that no one person or even group of people on earth can decide the fate of something much bigger then him, her, or them. People should be responsible for themselves but one man cannot decide the fate of billions even if it is said to be for the greater good.
Other themes or ideas may be found intertwined into the plot and characters of The Ark. Morrison did a fine job whether he realized it or not in portraying morals or ideas throughout his story. One more such example is the burgeoning relationship between Tyler Locke and Dilara Kenner; it can be seen that tough situations can bring people closer together and strengthen relationships as well as it can destroy relationships as seen through other characters not as important to the story as a whole. Cutter, a bloodthirsty man who worked for Ulric, had utterly despised Grant, a best friend of Tyler’s, when he had served in the armed forces with Grant earlier in life. At certain points in this story, Cutter’s and Grant’s great disdain for each other may be witnessed.
From the responsibilities that men have the right to hold to the impact of what difficult, challenging situations can do to relationships between people, many themes, morals, and “big ideas” may be found in The Ark.
Major Conflict
Conflict, contention, and strife can all be found throughout Morrison’s debut novel; however, there is one major conflict that can be broken into two major points of contention.
Mainly between the protagonist Tyler Locke and the antagonist Sebastian Ulric is the conflict of life and death. Ulric wishes to kill billions to cleanse the earth and start afresh as during Noah’s time; however, Tyler more than probably any of mankind does his best to stop Ulric from accomplishing his unfair goal. This conflict is whether Ulric kills billions or is stopped, a cliché impending doom of the world conflict.
Arguably between Dilara Kenner and her dad against Sebastian Ulric is the conflict of the ownership of some of the items from the original Noah’s Ark and who is the official “finder” of one of the greatest archeological discoveries of all time. Dilara Kenner, in fact, is the first to step inside “the Ark” and Ulric only gets the same opportunity because of her and Tyler Locke. To prevent further spoilers of the plot and ending all that will be said in of the contention and fighting that comes about from the discovery of the original Noah’s Ark.
To go into greater detail of the conflict of whether Ulric succeeds or fails, the paths and travels of Tyler and Dilara can be delved into and pondered over. The pair researches and goes through very difficult challenges because of their research and inquiry. Many close calls to death are found when following Tyler’s and Dilara’s path. The conflict could even be said to be Tyler and Dilara staying alive even before Ulric sets in motion the “devices” that are meant to kill so many others.
However, whatever the conflict there is, as long as there is in fact some kind of conflict, The Ark and practically every other literary work known to man will continue on. With conflict there is continuation even if it is not with rapport. For even if there is not peace or harmony at first later on, with resolved conflict and contention, peace and rapport may be found and the literary works come to a close.
Symbolic Image
This new, original symbol fits the overall aspect of this book, the aspect of mystery and change. The triangle, a delta symbol that can mean change, represents the idea of change in multiple aspects and parts of The Ark. From the change of character seen in both Tyler Locke and Dilara Keller to the change in setting from the United States to Newfoundland to Van, Turkey, and elsewhere, change can literally be seen constantly throughout in some way.
For what is life made up of? Change.
Also, regarding the mathematic use of the delta symbol, it may be applied to the technological advancements, discoveries, and changes seen in this book. Noah’s Ark was said to have certain dimensions as mentioned in the Bible, does “the Ark” in this book have the same dimensions?
Questioning, inquiry, and intrigue are represented by the many question marks located on the delta triangle symbol itself. The main or two main question marks found in the center of the triangle represent the largest questions that are continually present throughout the book. Interpretation of what these questions may be can, of course, be changed and be different. A couple possible questions one may assume go as follows: “Does Noah’s Ark truly exist and if so where and how?” And then another question less obvious and more indiscreet: “If there is such tremendous power on the earth itself to cause so much destruction then what is its purpose? How and why?”
The symbol of Question and Change.
New, Unusual Terms Discovered in the Text
1.) Helmsman: (n.) the person who controls or steers a boat or ship.
“The only seat facing forward was for the helmsman, and that wouldn’t be occupied until after the drop was complete.” (Page 30)
2.) Barista: (n.) the person provides service in a coffee bar.
“ ‘Our barista is out right now, but we’ll get some nice hot java in you soon,’ the man said.” (Page 39)
3.) Unassuming: (adj.) modest and humble; unpretending with nothing to hide.
“The unassuming buildings looked like airplane hangars, but the only aircraft on the property were three helicopters lined up on landing pads outside the hotel.” (Page 87)
4.) Prion: (n.) a protein that may cause certain (neurodegenerative) diseases.
“ ‘We have to stop them,’ Dilara said. ‘They’re planning to release some kind of prion in New York, LA, and London. They’re shipping the stuff out tonight.’ “ (Page 307)
5.) Amulet: (n.) an item such as a small piece of jewelry or an ornament that is thought to contain certain magical powers depending on the item (amulet) itself.
“ ‘The amulet was of tremendous significance,’ Dilara said. ‘It wouldn’t be tossed on the floor.’ “ (Page 383)
Comparing With Other Existing Works
Somewhat remarkably, despite The Ark being only one literary piece of work, both the action sequences from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the action and technology from multiple Sci-Fi books and movies can seem reminiscent to this particular work of Boyd Morrison.
From the intense and frequent action scenes witnessed in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies with the adrenaline rushes and close calls resulting in some deaths of lesser and some even more major characters, it practically speaks of what the essence of The Ark action scenes include. Even though the time, setting, and most weapons are not the same, action and fighting in its pure, raw form as seen in some television and in some books almost always have the same emotions and feelings. Even if some of the reasons for the fighting are different, fighting is fighting, conflict is conflict, and shed blood is shed blood, regardless of the situation.
Science Fiction books and movies portray many more advanced technologies and ideas. In The Ark, many more advanced technologies and equipment are seen, developed, and used. Ulric’s use of the “prion”, a lethal weapon when used for acts of terrorism, is the use of something that has not been discovered or “controlled” in our modern world as of today. That is one of bone-chilling items of warfare that hopefully will never be discovered and used. The “prion” is just one example of something that is more advanced in nature and idea that can be tied to many weapons and ideas portrayed in Sci-Fi books and movies alike.
Even though there are numerous other existing works that can be compared with The Ark, the pure action scenes of The Pirates of the Caribbean and the action and technological advancements of many Science Fiction works certainly may be thought of when a reader delves into the action and plot of this story written by Boyd Morrison.
Goodreads Review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/430283935
And a special “thanks” that goes to anyone for reading this page about The Ark!
Quarter 2 Reading Project: Crusade